Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



UNITED lSTATEs PATENT OFFICE ALoNzo o. RAND, or UNION MILLs, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTUR-E OF lLLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 62,363, dated February 26, 1867.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Y Be it known that I, vALONZO C. RAND, of

Union Mills, Erie county, and State of Penn- Sylvania,v have made certain new and useful Improvements, in the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being made to the drawings and letters marked thereon, which form a part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my apparatus, Fig. 2, a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ofthe carbureter. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the equalizing-cock. Fig. 5 is a detached horizontal section of the three-way cocks for connecting or disconnecting the generating or carbureting chambers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The nature of myinvention consists, first, in providing the tank or vessel containing` the hydrocarbon with compartments connected with pipes and stop-cocks, for the purpose of incorporating with the air a uniform or proper proportion of carbonto makeit a goodilluminator, irrespective of the specific gravity of the hydrocarbon used; secondly, in the employment of connecting pipes and cocks used to connect the compartments and maintain a uniform depth of hydrocarbon in each compartment, thirdly, in having the outlet of the pipe used to deliver the carbureted air into the gas-holder on the bottom of the water-tank, that the carbureted air may be made to pass through the water, and by this means prevent any condensation in the pipes leading to the burners, as any condensation of the vapors would take place in the water before they reached or entered into the gas-holder.

Having described the nature of my invention, I now proceed to give a description of its various parts and mode of operation.

A', Figures 1 and 2, represents the water-basin, and B the gas-holder, both of which are constructed in the usual manner. C, Figs. l and 3, represents the tank orvessel used to hold the hydrocarbon. It is constructed with four equal compartments or generators, al a2 a3 a4. These compartments are connected with each other by means of the passages c1 c2 c3, (shown in Fig. 5,) and they are also connected with the Vpart of the basin A.

central chamber E by means of passages dd d. The same passages are connected or disconnected, at the will of the operator, by the cocks el e2 e3, so that the compartments al a2 c3, also the central chamber E, are connected or disconnected by means of the cocks e1 e2 e3. The chamber E is connected with the gas-holderB by means of the pipe F. Said chamber is provided with a small gas-burner, G, for the purpose of testing the quality of the gas during its manufacture. The vessel G is provided on its top with an opening, H, for the purpose of filling the said compartments.

In order to have an equal amount of liquid in'each compartment, the said vessel is provided on its bottom with a four-way cock, I, connecting or disconnecting all of said compartments. J is a cock for drawing off the liquid from the vessel. K is a pipe for introducing the air into the said vessel by the pump L. Mis a check-valvehplaced between the pump and vessel in the pipe K, to prevent the back flow of theliquid from the vessel C to the pump. The pipe Kis introducedinto the compartment a, and is provided with small perforations to separate the air introduced into said compartment. The pipe F is supplied with a checkvalve, N, between the vessel G and water-basin A, to prevent the back iiow of water from the basin A, and the outlet of said pipe is perforated, as shown byO. P is a pipe, arranged in the usual manner, for delivering the gas from the gas-holder. One end of each of the passages c1 c2 c3 is connected with the top of one compartment.' Each of the other ends terminates at the bottom of the adjoining compartments, and are providedwith perforations. The operation is as follows The air is forced by the pump L into the first compartment c.

From thence it passes upward through theliquid and through passage cl down to the bottom of the adjoining compartment a2, and again passes upward through the passage c2, and therefrom through the other compartments in the same manner, until it reaches or is received into compartment a", from which it is deliveredl through the opening X into the chamber D, from which it passes into the lower It is then obliged to pass upward through the water into the gasholder B, that any vapors may condense in the water, thereby preventin g condensation taking placeinthepipes leadingto the burners. From the gas-holder it is delivered by the usual delivery-pipe P.

If the hydrocarbon is of Very light gravity the air will be sufficiently carbureted by passing through one compartment. The communication to the next compartment is closed by means of the cock el, and the communication through the passage o1 into chamberE is opened and the gas passes through pipe F into the gasholder.

The construction of these compartments being precisely similar, and the mode of carbureting being alike in each compartment, it will be readily understood that the number of compartments necessary to use is dependent upon the specific gravity of the hydrocarbon contained in the Vessel or generator.

rThe quality of the gas is readily ascertained during the process of its manufacture by the use ofthe gas-light test G. This insures uniformity' of quality. As, during the process of its manufacture the gravity of the hydrocarbon is becoming lower, the lighteror more Volatile portions of it are more rapidly taken up by contact with the air; therefore the utility or necessity of using the test-light to ascertain when it is necessary to pass it through two or more compartments in order to insure its being charged with suflicient carbon to become a good illuminator; After all the'lighter portions of the hydrocarbon are taken up by this process, heated air may be introduced by means of a 4coil in the suction-pipe to the pump, which 2. The combination of the test-light G andits connection with the series of compartments or generators al a2 a3 a, substantially as and for the purpose herein described;

3. The employment of the cock or cocks I, arranged on the lower part of the generators to connect or disconnect the same, substantially as and for the purpose described herein.

. ALONZO C. RAND. Witnesses: v

E. D. PoUNDsHIRE,

C. L. SHERwooD. 

